November 05, 2008	Wednesday	Ziqa'ad 6, 1429

KARACHI, Nov 4: Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza has said that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement has given to the government in writing evidence of Talibanisation in Karachi and the government is looking into it.

The minister was talking to a group of journalists after presiding over a meeting at the Central Police Office on Tuesday.

He said the particular areas of the city described in the MQM document as hotbeds of fanaticism were being closely watched.

The minister admitted that incidents of targeted killings and street crimes had increased in the city. However, he said, in most cases, the killings were the result of personal enmity.Dr Mirza claimed that kidnapping for ransom cases and the so-called ‘gang-warfare’ related incidents had declined in the city as the government and law-enforcement agencies were paying special attention to them. He said the government was also focusing on street crime cases.

Film producer’s disappearance

Regarding the disappearance of famous film producer Satish Anand, he rejected as untrue reports that spy agencies had kidnapped him.

He said the film producer and distributor was not in the custody of law-enforcement agencies and had actually been kidnapped.

The law-enforcement personnel were investigating the case, he said and added that they had made some progress in the case and soon people would hear some good news in this regard.

Meanwhile, the home minister took serious notice of the absence of some senior police officers from the complaint cell ‘919’ set up at the Chief Minister’s House and issued orders of their suspension.

Four DSPs — Syed Zafar Ali Shah, Aamir Hameed, Ghulam Mustafa Shah and Ali Asghar — were absent when the minister visited the cell.

At the complaint cell, two provincial ministers have been asked to be present and receive public complaints on telephone in two shifts and issue directives to relevant authorities on the spot.

Representatives of different government departments and police officials of DSP ranks have also been asked to be present at the cell.

The home minister said that when he visited the cell on Tuesday he was told about the absence of the DSPs, who were supposed to be present there.

He said he took notice of officers’ dereliction of duty and directed the capital city police officer to suspend the officials immediately and send a report to him within 24 hours.

The minister said such attitude of police could not be tolerated. That kind of behaviour cast a negative impact on the utility of the cell, he added.

The home minister stayed at the cell from 9am to 1pm, according to a schedule of his duty.

He received over 40 complaints and issued directives. He also issued instructions to senior police officials about several complaints.

On a complaint of Abdul Qadeer Memon from Naushero Feroze, in which he had said that in violation of a chief minister order, a building of a govt high school was not vacated and students were suffering.

The home minister directed the DPO of Naushero Feroze to initiate legal proceedings to get the building vacated from its present occupants.

A citizen from Moro complained that nine classrooms of a school building were in the use of the education department. The home minister asked the DPO concerned to send a report to him about the matter within 24 hours.

He also gave cash prizes to five SHOs for their performance after the meeting at the Central Police Office.